Elijah Bristow founded Lane County and helped spread the Christian religion. His family and himself have made many great contributions to Oregon and Lane County especially.

Elijah Bristow lead his family and companions from Illinois through the Midwest to California in 1845 and then he moved his party to the Willamette Valley in the summer of 1846. The land he came across was not suitable for a white man's inhabit. Elijah took his party to a better location in the west side of the valley. Soon after he spotted a low rolling ridge it reminded him of his homeland of Pleasant Hill in Virginia and thus that is how he named Pleasant Hill.

The claim measured an average size of 640 acres. When he sat claim to his land and said," Here I will live and when I die, here I shall be buried. August of 1850 the Pleasent Hill church of Christ was built 12 miles south east of what is now eugene. Elijah donated the 5 acre area and the first organized session of church was held on august 4 1850 in a one room school house with 19 original members. The location is now occupied by the city cemetery. Elijah is credited with organizing the church and town. After the building was unable to house the church and town, Elijah was quick to rebuild it. The built a mill to build a chool and church house. The churcdh house's first regular preacher was Gilmore Callison from Illinois

He was the oldest son, of James and Delilah Bristow. Elijah married at age of 24. Rachel Reed was here name, the newlyweds quickly picked up and moved to Macoupia County Illinois. Elijah and the rest of his party grew

You can easily see what type of a man that Elijah was with letters he wrote and the things his trail mates had to say, with the letters he wrote during the civil war. In one letter he say's " I have made myself somewhat conspicuous here, sometimes by integrity , and sometimes by the gun. Elijah was also known as a hero and leader. A trail mate of Elijah Wesley Shannon wrote a eulogy for him and at the end of the eulogy it reads," He was a natural leader of men and had his ascendant over all who approached him from natural qualities, cordial and graceful manners, elevated mind, fearless spirit, generosity and unassailable integrity.